Economic Development

City Planning

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Third class of fellows bring expertise and City know-how to assist with major initiatives

(DENVER) Mayor John Hickenlooper and the Denver Office of Accountability and Reform (DOAR) announced Thursday the 10 City employees chosen for the City’s third annual Denver Fellowship in Urban Government. The competitive application process resulted in the selection of 10 fellows with a range of expertise to work on the City’s organizational performance measures, Sustainable Development Initiative, contracting process improvements, and implementation of the 3-1-1 customer service call system. DOAR, which oversees the Denver Urban Fellows, selected several part-time fellows this year to increase opportunities for participation in the program.

“We’re thrilled to begin 2006 with this team and the exciting projects before us,” said Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly Brough, who manages the Denver Office of Accountability and Reform. “The experience and expertise of these City employees will be invaluable in our ongoing initiatives to enhance customer service and make City operations more efficient and effective.”

Three of the fellows will focus on special projects based on their expertise, including sustainability, contracting, and change management. Seven of the 10 fellows will consult with City departments in conjunction with the Budget and Management Office to help department managers create performance measures and collect performance data.

The 2006 Denver Urban Fellows are as follows:

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Cindy Bosco

has worked for the City since 1993 in Denver Recycles/Environmental Services, and now in the Environmental Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Health. Her work has included the development and implementation of an internal Environmental Champions award program for the City, as well as work on household hazardous waste, Superfund cleanup and environmentally-sound purchasing practices. She holds a bachelor’s of science and master’s degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Bosco will work on the development and implementation of the Mayor's Sustainable Development Initiative.

Kay Franklin has worked for the City and County of Denver for over 16 years. She has been employed in the Police Department, Motor Vehicle Division, Treasury Division and Wastewater Management Division. Currently she is Agency Controller for the Mayor’s Office for Education and Children’s Head Start program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Metropolitan State College. Franklin will help to improve the contracting process in Public Works.

Rika Mead is the Change Manager for the City & County of Denver and has held that position since 1998. She came to the public sector after owning a change management consulting firm. In her private consulting practice, Mead completed several public sector projects on the federal level and many private sector ventures. She has worked on organizational design and development, executive coaching and leadership evolution, process improvement, team building, needs analysis, professional facilitation, strategic planning and coalition creation. Mead holds a master’s degree in leadership & organizational change from Regis University. She is overseeing the communication and change management plan for the new 3-1-1 system.

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Dani Brown

has worked for the City and County of Denver for 15 years and currently holds the position of Human Resource Supervisor in the Career Service Authority. Brown has recently worked with management throughout the city to restructure the City’s total compensation package and create the new employee occupational groups. She holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

David Ford has worked for the City and County of Denver for 20 years and currently holds the positions of Planning & Policy Analyst and Interim Regional Workforce Investment Board Coordinator. Some of his other duties include serving as the Office of Economic Development project lead for the 3-1-1 implementation and OED’s lead representative on the Sustainable Development Initiative. David received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado College and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Arizona.

Ledy Garcia-Eckstein has worked for the City for five years and currently holds the position of Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Economic Development. Previously she served as a policy advisor in the Governor’s Office and as as executive director of the Workforce Coordinating Council. Garcia-Eckstein recently spearheaded the successful regional grant application that resulted in a $15 million federal grant to train Coloradans for high tech jobs. She has conducted research and analysis on best practices on the integration of economic and workforce development and on neighborhood revitalization strategies. She holds a bachelor’s degree with distinction and honors in political science from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in government from the University of Virginia.

Harry H. Hill, III has worked for the City since 2002 as a Parks and Recreations Facility Superintendent and oversees the Facility Services maintenance operations throughout the Denver metro area park system. He has also worked on managing facilities worldwide for Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. and regionally for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Hood College and master’s degree in public administration and policy analysis from Southern Illinois University.

Katherine O’Connor is a Senior Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst for the City and County of Denver’s Office of Economic Development. Prior to joining the City in 2002, she used her research and analytic skills as a Program Associate for Monterey County California and was a GIS Coordinator for the Delaware Valley Child Care Council. O’Connor holds a bachelor’s degree in regional science from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in geographic information science from the University of Denver.

Kurt Schumacher has served as Senior Real Estate Agent in Denver’s Asset Management Office for the past seven years. He has worked on numerous projects requiring his analytical skills both with the City and in the private sector. Recently Kurt has worked on planning committees for the new Justice Center and the Glendale Fire Department intergovernmental agreement and has been instrumental in creating facility master plans for several city departments. Schumacher holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Colorado.

Abdul Sesay is a Planning and Policy Analyst with the Office of Economic Development. He has over eight years of private- and public-sector experience in housing and urban development, market analysis, and real estate finance. Before joining the City in 2002, Abdul was a Project Manager and Housing Development Consultant for Prior and Associates, Inc., a local consulting firm. Abdul holds master’s degrees in architecture, urban planning, and information systems from Tsinghua University, China, University of Cincinnati, and University of Colorado at Denver, respectively. He is a certified Housing Development Finance Professional and an Oracle Certified Professional, Internet Application Developer.

The Fellows will remain at their current salary, which will continue to be paid by their respective departments. Each fellow is involved in designing and implementing their transition plans with their respective supervisors.

The Department of Accountability and Reform will continue to accept applications year-round from interested city employees and private-sector executives who would like to participate in current initiatives or recommend and lead their own short-term operational improvement projects. Applications are online. Please email or send the completed application and résumé (and suggested initiative, if applicable) to Brenda Jackson.